Canada gets set for maximum beach volleyball action

Team Canada duos already know their Rio 2016 group stage opponents in the beach volleyball tournament, which will take place at Copacabana Beach, from August 6-18.

The complete schedule was published by the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) on Friday. With three sessions each day, men’s and women’s matches will be mixed throughout the six-day group stage of the tournament.

John Binstock and Sam Schachter will face the Brazilians Alison and Bruno / Photo via FIVB

Also on August 7, Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas will play against the Italians Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth, while Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton will face the Latvian team of Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins.

Ben Saxton (right) with Chaim Schalk will make their debut on August 7 (Photo: FIVB).

To continue with the group stage, Binstock and Schachter will meet Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri from Italy (August 8) and the Austrians Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst (August 10). Schalk and Saxton will face the Brazilians Pedro Solberg and Evandro Jr (August 9) and Cuba’s Nivaldo Diaz and Sergio Gonzales (August 11).

On the women’s side, Pavan and Bansley will finish the group stage against Joana Heidrich and Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland (August 9) and the Germans Karla Borger and Britta Buthe (August 11). Broder and Valjas will play against the Germans Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst (August 9), then Doaa Elghobashy and Nada Meawad, from Egypt (August 11).

Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas / Photo: FIVB.

The round of 16 matches will take place on August 12-13. The quarterfinals will follow on August 14 (women’s) and 15 (men’s).

After the semifinals on August 16, the medal matches will take place on August 17 (women) and 18 (men’s).

Rio 2016 will mark the first time Team Canada has achieved the maximum number of quota spots, with four beach teams competing in Rio.

In total, 96 players from 24 countries will form 48 men’s and women’s teams in the sixth edition of the Olympic beach volleyball competition.